The head coach of the national champion Clemson Tigers knows about football, but he also knows a thing or two about dealing with those who want him to be quiet about his faith.
Clemson’s Dabo Swinney is a devout and outspoken Christian. In 2014 — before he’d established himself as one of college football’s elite coaches — his faith landed him in the crosshairs of the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
FFRF complained that “Christian worship seems interwoven into Clemson’s football program.” The group demanded that Clemson cease team devotionals, they were upset that Swinney had invited a Christian minister to become the team’s chaplain — and the atheist group wanted the coach to stop offering players rides to church.
But Swinney held firm, and his university backed him. Swinney’s statement was a model of polite conviction. First, he outlined the three simple rules that every player must follow: “(1) Players must go to class, (2) they must give a good effort, and (3) they must be good citizens.”
Next, he noted that he’s recruited players “of many faiths.” Then, he made the crucial point: Recruiting is very personal. Recruits and their families want — and deserve — to know who you are as a person, not just what kind of coach you are.
Swinney said he tries to be a good example to others, and works hard to live his life according to his faith.
In other words, Swinney is a Christian, and he’s not going to hide that fact from recruits, their families, or the public.